West Vancouver, B.C. (Golf Canada) – Vancouver’s Doug Roxburgh edged closer to winning his first Canadian Men’s Senior Championship title Thursday, firing a 1-under-par 70 at Capilano Golf and Country Club to take a 4-shot lead heading into tomorrow’s final round.

The Canadian Golf Hall of Fame honoured member once again got off to an unsteady start with a bogey on the 1^st hole, but it proved to be the only blemish on his scorecard for the day.

The four-time Canadian Amateur and 13-time British Columbia Amateur champion carded birdies on holes 9 and 10 to fire his third consecutive sub-par round (69-69-70) at Capilano to sit at 5-under 208.

“I had a bit of a shaky start, but settled into a nice rhythm,” said Roxburgh. “I always enjoy playing with Sandy Harper and it was a fun day. I’m looking forward to tomorrow with Sandy again and Brady (Exber).”

Brady Exber of Las Vegas carded a 4-under 67 Thursday – the low round of the tournament – and now sits alone in second at 1-under 212 (74-71-67), four-shots back of Roxburgh.

“My approach today was to not make the silly mistakes I made the first two days,” he explained. “I’ve been driving the ball really well, and having some 4 or 5 irons into the par-5s, but was missing the greens in very bad spots. Today I did a better job of that, birdieing all four of the par-5s.”

Exber is the reigning (British) Seniors Amateur Champion, winning the R&A’s championship earlier this month in North Yorkshire, England to gain entry into the Canadian Men’s Senior Championship.

“My goal this week was to just not embarrass myself because people know I’ve won a big tournament and I didn’t want them to think it was a fluke,” he joked. “I think I’ve accomplished that at this point, so the pressure if off there. I’m still riding that high though, trying to play good and hopefully tomorrow will be a good day.”

Nanaimo, B.C.’s Sandy Harper is third, five shots off the lead at even-par 213 (71-73-69).

This week’s champion receives an exemption into the 2014 USGA Senior Amateur Championship taking place September 13-18 at Big Canyon Country Club in Newport Beach, Calif.

The Canadian Senior Men’s Championship continues Friday with the final round beginning at 7:30 a.m. (PDT). Scoring, pairings and start times can be found online here.

TURIN, Italy – Home favorite Francesco Molinari and Austria’s Bernd Wiesberger both shot 66 to share the first round lead at the Italian Open on Thursday, while Stephen Gallacher’s bid to earn a late spot on Europe’s Ryder Cup team ran into trouble.

Molinari – who was born in Turin – and Wiesberger managed six birdies each in their bogey-free rounds to finish six under par. They lead a group of five players, including early leader John Hahn of the United States, by one stroke.

Gallacher, who needs a top-two finish to dislodge former U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell from Europe’s team, opened with a par-72. The Scot is the only player still capable of moving into the automatic Ryder Cup places in the final qualifying event.

European captain Paul McGinley said Molinari is “very much in my mind” for one of the three Ryder Cup wild cards he will announce on Tuesday, while the man himself thinks he needs a second Italian Open win on Sunday to guarantee a third consecutive cup appearance at Gleneagles next month.

”I had a chat with Paul when he got here and I think the good thing is that he knows what I can bring to the team because he has seen me as vice-captain on the last two teams,” Molinari said.

”But it’s up to me to prove that I really want it and am playing well enough. I think anything less than a win would not be enough so I have to aim for that.”

Gallacher headed straight to the range after a round featuring four birdies and four bogeys. The 39-year-old Scot squandered a good start after almost holing his approach to his second hole of the day.

“I’m a bit disappointed because I threw away a couple of shots midway through my round, but it’s OK for the first day and I am only one good score away from the top of the leaderboard,” Gallacher said.

“I know I have to finish first or second, that’s not going to change, so I’m not putting any pressure on myself. Once you get out on the course you just try to birdie every hole. That’s the easy part. It’s when you finish you think about the Ryder Cup.”

Hahn produced six birdies but bogeyed the sixth hole to leave him second with Northern Ireland’s Gareth Maybin, Scotland’s Richie Ramsay, England’s Richard Bland and South African Hennie Otto, with 17-year-old Italian amateur Edoardo Lipparelli among a seven-strong group another shot back.

CHILLIWACK, British Columbia – Diego San Pedro secured the 2014 Juvenile Boys’ Championship title with a one-hole play-off victory, while Shirin Anjarwalla held on to become the Juvenile Girls’ champion at Royalwood Golf Course after leading all three days of competition.

San Pedro’s first play-off hole tee shot found the middle of the fairway, while Jaewook Lee drained his into the water hazard. His opponent’s error and added stroke left the 16-year-old with some breathing room and despite bogeying the hole, he became this year’s Boys’ Juvenile champion.

“I knew I had a good chance [to win], and I felt a little pumped on the first tee, so that’s always a good start. It’s good to pull it off in the end,” San Pedro said.

After sitting comfortably in third place and within strokes of the lead on both days one and two, San Pedro made a surge for the title with just a few holes remaining to play. He forced a play off against Lee after an eagle and two birdies coming in left him tied for first at 6-under.

“On hole 14, the par-5, I had a chip and I told them to take the flag out because I knew I had a chance to chip it in… and it went in,” added San Pedro.

“So I fist pumped a little bit and that got me going real fast, the adrenaline started coming and I finished strong.”

Lee (72-68-70), 15, led after the second round and remained even at the turn, but applied some pressure with a pair of late-round birdies to hold on to his share of the lead and force the playoff.

A.J. Ewart (66-77-68) finished in third with an exciting final-hole birdie aided by a great tee-shot landing just feet from the pin. The 15-year-old from Coquitlam shot the championship low-score on the first day of play.

Anjarwalla shot -1 (72) on her final round on the way to becoming the 2014 girls’ champion. The 14-year-old from Nanaimo cultivated her lead early and would hold on over three days of tough competition finishing with scores of 68-67-72.

“I played really good, I think my first two rounds were the best I’ve ever played, so I was really proud of myself,” said Anjarwalla.

Over the course of 54 holes, Anjarwalla only made three bogeys but made an outstanding 15 birdies.

When Team Canada member, Naomi Ko, began to catch her lead, Anjarwalla changed her approach.

“I was just thinking to myself, don’t try to play so aggressive, just try to make your pars. If birdies fall then they’ll fall, but don’t play just for birdies,” she explained. “I was just trying to stay to my game plan and keep steady.”

Ko (69-70-69), the 2014 BC Junior Girls’ Champion played with consistency and finished just a single stroke behind Anjarwalla at -11, after playing a stellar final round, finishing 4-under for the day.

Tiffany Kong played her best round of the championship on the final day to finish in third, carding four birdies and an eagle to finish -3 for the day and +1 for the Championship.

West Vancouver, B.C. (Golf Canada) – Vancouver’s Doug Roxburgh continued his solid play at Capilano Golf and Country Club Wednesday, posting a 2-under 69 to build a four shot lead thru two rounds of the 2014 Canadian Men’s Senior Championship.

The Canadian Golf Hall of Fame honoured member had a less than ideal start Wednesday, bogeying the 1^st and 8^th holes en route to finishing his front 9 at 1-over par. However, the 13-time British Columbia Amateur Champion rallied to birdie holes 10, 11 and 14 to get below par and shoot his second consecutive 69 (69-69—138) at challenging Capilano.

The difference between the two nines proved to be Roxburgh’s flat stick.

“I needed to get my putting going and started to on the 9^th hole,” he explained. “I made a nice side-hiller from about 10 feet to save par. After that I really putted well. I didn’t miss too many (putts) coming in on the back nine. I left myself below the hole and took pars when I needed. I’m happy with my 69 and am looking forward to the next two days.”

Steven Hudson of Birmingham, Ala. sits second thru 36-holes at even-par 142 (71-71), while Nanaimo, B.C.’s Sandy Harper is third at 2-over 174 (71-73).

In the Inter-Provincial Team Championship, the British Columbia contingent of Roxburgh, Lance Lundy (Pemberton, B.C.) and Jim Shaw (Mission, B.C.) combined for a 2-under 140 to capture the Phil Farley trophy with a 1-over 285 total. The squad finished 13-strokes ahead of Alberta, who carded a final round 1-over 143.

In the battle for the Super Senior title (70+), Mickey Batten of Chateauguay, Que. claimed a two-shot victory over runner-up George Stokes of New Hamburg, Ont. Batten carded 77-80 for a two day total of 15-over 157 for the victory.

“This is my first national championship win,” said Batten, a former Quebec Amateur and Duke of Kent champion. “I’m really happy today. I played this course (Capilano) 30 and 40 years ago, but I hardly recognize it. It’s truly a special place.”

The Canadian Men’s Senior Inter-Provincial Team and Canadian Men’s Super Senior Championships are conducted concurrently with the opening two-rounds of the Canadian Men’s Senior Championship.

The Canadian Senior Men’s Championship continues Thursday with the third round beginning at 7:30 a.m. (PDT) off the 1st and 10th tees. Scoring, pairings and start times can be found online here.

For those who don’t know him, Austin James is an 18-year-old sophomore out of Charleston Southern, in Charleston, S.C. He won the 2014 Canadian Junior Boys Championship with a 15-under 273 for a four-stroke victory. How did he get here? Well, it seems as if the road to success was paved out for him at an early age – the foundation at least.

Austin comes from a family of golf. His immediate family lives on the grounds of Loyalist Golf and Country Club in Bath Ont., where his father, Geoff, is the head PGA of Canada professional. This past week, James played in PGA Tour Canada’s Great Waterway Classic, held on the very own grounds of Loyalist. Against the pros, James finished tied for 49th with an 8-under 280 (71-68-73-68). Home course or not, a very promising finish for the young sophomore.

James has enjoyed success in the past, winning a couple Canadian Junior Golf Association (CJGA) events in 2013 before winning a national championship. With age, he seems to be developing a greater understanding of the game, evident in his recent string of finishes.

While still young, James has directed his focus to the collegiate level by looking to get into the lineup at more NCAA events, before his ultimate plan of turning professional.

“I got to play about half of our team’s events – overall though, I really enjoyed my first year there,” said James. “I’d like to have a solid college career and see how good I can get while I’m still at school and hopefully go pro after that. It’s still a while away, so I am just more focused on getting my game better and better.”

Austin is the younger brother to sister Augusta James, three-year member of Team Canada’s National Amateur Squad. Just as you’d expect, the support for each other within the family is strong. A week after winning the Canadian Junior Boys title, Austin headed down south with Augusta to help her prepare for the U.S. Women’s Amateur in Glencove, N.Y.

Taking nothing away, Austin James is a talent in his own right – although he is still modest enough to admit his older sister holds the upper hand.

“She was always better than me, and she still is,” laughed James of a match with Augusta. “I think that has helped me be more competitive and it gives me someone to look up to and compare myself to.”

Augusta, 21, won the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship in July, giving younger brother Austin an extra boost of motivation leading up to his Canadian Junior Boys win.

“It was great to see her win that title, especially battling the world’s no. 2 (Canada’s Brooke Henderson) and no. 6 (Autralia’s Su-Hyun Oh) ranked amateurs in the world,” said Austin. “It gave me a lot of confidence to see all the work she has put in pay off.”

Looking to the future, Austin plans to improve on consistency and continue learning in college competitions at Charleston Southern. Meanwhile, sister Augusta will look to close out her career at N.C. State in memorable fashion.

The future is never a sure thing, but don’t be surprised if you see the name ‘James’ atop golf leaderboards for many years to come.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Malaysian golfer Mohd Nazri Zain had a rare hole-in-one on a par-4 during the SapuraKencana National Qualifier tournament on Wednesday.

He holed out on the water-lined 289-yard 16th on the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club’s west course.

“I saw the ball rolling into the hole and I started celebrating with my caddie,” Zain said. “It was unbelievable. This is definitely a huge achievement for me and I’ll keep the ball as a memory.”

Zain finished with a 2-over 73 and in 20th place, 15 strokes behind playoff winner Danny Chia of Malaysia. By winning, Chia earned a place in the $7 million CIMB Classic, a PGA Tour and Asian Tour event in late October.

The 30-year-old Zain already had a hole-in-one – on a par-3 hole – in 2012.

There has been only one hole-in-one on a par-4 on the PGA Tour, by American golfer Andrew Magee at the TPC Scottsdale during the FBR Open, now Phoenix Open, in 2001. Asian Tour officials said Wednesday that Zain’s ace was the first on a par-4 on their tour.

Magee’s hole-in-one came with a driver on the 332-yard 17th. His tee shot ran up onto the green while the group of Steve Pate, Gary Nicklaus (Jack Nicklaus’ son) and Tom Byrum were putting. Magee’s ball bounced on to the green, ran through Byrum’s legs and struck Byrum’s putter and deflected about eight feet into the hole.

The most recent par-4 hole-in-one came in July when Tyler Raber aced the 279-yard 17th hole on the developmental eGolf Pro Tour’s ArrowCreek Open in Reno, Nevada.

Raber, who at first thought he had lost his ball with his tee shot before discovering it in the hole, lost the ArrowCreek Open in a three-man playoff.

AMHERST, Nova Scotia – It was razor thin victory, but New Brunswick has back-to-back championships at the Atlantic Junior Match Play Championship after taking top honours Wednesday at the Amherst Golf Club.

Heading into the day with a half point lead over Nova Scotia and only a point lead over Prince Edward Island, the New Brunswick team was able to inch ahead in a championship that came right down to the wire.

This marks the second straight year New Brunswick has won the event, as it edged Nova Scotia last year as well. Prince Edward Island, making its first trip to the event in the last two years, was impressive and added to the championship format.

CALGARY – Calgary’s Stephen Ames was inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame on Tuesday at the Shaw Charity Classic – an event he is a founding partner of.

“It’s hitting home a little bit now for me. It is a real honour,” said Ames. “It’s the highlight of my career right now, an added trophy to the career that I’ve had, which is wonderful. At this stage right now, it’s something to relish.”

Ames, a dual citizen of Canada as well as Trinidad and Tobago is a four-time winner on the PGA Tour. With his induction in the player category, Ames becomes the 74th honoured member of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame.

“The Canadian Golf Hall of Fame seeks to recognize excellence as golfers, contributors and supporters of the game,” said Ian Clarke, Chair of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame Selection Committee. “Stephen Ames has excelled on the biggest stage in our sport and it is fitting that he will be recognized for his respective accomplishments.”

Ames, 50, enters the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame as a prominent professional player, having amassed four PGA Tour victories and over $19.7 million in career earnings. In 2006, Ames captured one of the Tour’s marquee events, winning The Players Championship by six strokes over Retief Goosen. His victory at TPC Sawgrass was played against 48 of the top 50 players in the world and vaulted him at that time to No. 27 in the Official World Golf Rankings.

In 2013, the Stephen Ames Foundation funded the inaugural CJGA Stephen Ames Junior Cup presented by RBC at the Country Club of the Hamptons in Calgary. Since 2005, Ames has proudly hosted the Stephen Ames Cup, a Ryder Cup style tournament featuring a team of Canadian junior players versus Team Trinidad & Tobago. In addition, the Stephen Ames Foundation provides funding for junior golf programs and other children’s initiatives in Canada and Trinidad and Tobago.

West Vancouver, B.C. (Golf Canada) – Vancouver’s Doug Roxburgh shot a 2-under 69 to take the opening-round lead Tuesday at the Canadian Men’s Senior Championship at Capilano Golf and Country Club.

“Overall, I think I played pretty good,” said the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame honoured member. “It’s a tough golf course – the pins were tricky and the greens firm. I made some good putts, par savers, to keep my momentum going.”

Roxburgh and his hot putter got off to a great start, eagling his first hole on the day – the par 5 10^th hole – to get into red numbers early. He’d add two birdies and two bogeys to his scorecard en route to becoming the lone player to finish their opening-round under par. He would have been a shot better if not for missing a short par attempt on the 9^th hole, his last of the day.

“Unfortunately I missed that short one for par on the last hole” he added. “Other than that, I was really happy with my score out there today.”

Roxburgh had reason to be content with his round. The scoring average for the field was nearly 10 shots above par (71) at 80.26 during the opening round. The 12^th hole played as the most difficult hole of the day, with the 156 player field averaging the 362 yard par-4 nearly a full stroke over par (4.94).

Roxburgh, a four-time Canadian Amateur champion, had high praises for host Capilano on Tuesday.

“I think Capilano is my No. 1 course anywhere that I’ve played,” he explained. “I’ve played a lot of great events here over the years and it’s always great to come back”

Roxburgh may have been the only competitor to tame Capilano Tuesday, but he still has a great deal of work left if he wants to capture his first Canadian Men’s Senior Championship.

Three players trail the 62-year-old in second. Pat Thompson of Asheville, N.C., Steven Hudson of Birmingham, Ala., and Sandy Harper of Nanaimo, B.C. all fired matching even-par 71s to sit two-shots off the lead.

The Inter-Provincial team championship is conducted concurrently over the first two rounds of stroke play each year at the Canadian Men’s Senior Championship. Team British Columbia leads by five-strokes heading into the final round. Roxburgh, Lance Lundy of Pemberton, B.C., and Jim Shaw of Mission, B.C., combined to card a 3-over 145 to sit ahead of Team Saskatchewan’s Colin Coben (Delisle), Paul Grimes (Arcola) and Percy Murray (Delisle) at 150, +8. Team Ontario, which is comprised of Brampton’s Rick Dodds-Hebron, as well as Larry Cooper and Lars Melander of Oakville, are third at 9-over 151.

Mickey Batten of Chateauguay, Que. leads the Super Senior Division (70+) after a 6-over 77. Bob Masukawa of Aurora, Ont. is second at 7-over 78 and George Stokes of New Hamburg, Ont. rounds out the top 3 in third at 8-over 79.

The shot of the day went to Frank Morris of Guelph, Ont. who used a 4-hybrid to card an ace on the 201 yard par-3 16^th hole. The Guelph Lakes Golf Club member opened with a 5-over 76 and sits tied for 30^th.

Defending champion David Schultz of Calgary is tied for 9^th after a 3-over 74.

This week’s champion earns an exemption into the 2014 U.S. Senior Amateur Championship at Big Canyon Country Club in Newport Beach, Calif. September 13-18, 2014.

The Canadian Senior Men’s Championship continues on Wednesday with the second round beginning at 7:30 a.m. (PDT) off the 1st and 10th tees. Scoring, pairings and start times can be found online here.

JERSEY CITY, N.J. – Liberty National will host the 2017 Presidents Cup as part of a 25-year partnership with the PGA Tour.

Liberty National has hosted The Barclays – the opening FedEx Cup playoff event – in 2009 and 2013. The partnership announced Tuesday means the tour will bring up to 10 more tournaments to the course that was built on a former landfill and is across from the Statue of Liberty and lower Manhattan.

Course founders Paul Fireman and Dan Fireman also say they are donating $5 million to The First Tee, the tour’s national education program for youngsters.

The announcement means the New York area will get the Presidents Cup and the Ryder Cup in a seven-year span. The Ryder Cup is to be played at Bethpage Black on Long Island in 2024.